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Lightning Strike

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From: Steve Calhoun City: Urbana, IL
I have a 50 to 60 year old Pin Oak in my yard that was struck by lightning over the weekend. On one side, bark was stripped off about 8 inches wide from the ground up about 6-7 ft. On the other side, bark and wood were damaged from the ground up about 8 ft, 12 inches wide and up to 4 inches deep into the trunk. What would be the best way to treat the exposed trunk?
	Extension Message From: Jay Hayek Extension Specialist, Forestry Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences jhayek@illinois.edu
Greetings Steve: The best thing for you to do is to prune away the rough, exposed loose bark that may have splintered away from the main stem of the tree due to the lightning strike. Do not attempt to paint or seal the wound as this will only complicate the issue. Instead, just make sure the tree receives plenty of water during periods of low/no precipitation and follow a proactive yet conservative fertilization regimen such as fertilizing your lawn on or around Memorial Day and Labor Day. Best of luck!
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